


Meeting The Family

by justanoutlaw



Series: A Maiden & A Swan [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Found Family, Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24583516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Marian and Emma reach the part of their relationship where it’s time to meet the parents.
Relationships: Marian/Emma Swan
Series: A Maiden & A Swan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778566
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10





	Meeting The Family

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous on CuriousCat prompted: Marian is surprised out that Emma is out to Snowing (and of course they're supportive). Trigger warning: mentions of homophobia.
> 
> AU where Marian was really Marian when she came back.

Marian watches as Emma's chest rises, then falls. Tiny snores escape her nose, drool dribbling from her closed mouth. Her blonde natural waves are a whirlwind of disaster and Emma's worn that vintage Lou Reed shirt so many times it has a hole in the armpit.

And still, Marian thinks, _I have the sexiest girl_.

They've been dating two months. It didn't start as dating, though. No, first it all began 3 weeks after her body recovered from the Snow Queen's curse. Robin had told her while he'd always love her, his heart belonged to someone else. He didn't even have to say who. Ever since Emma dragged her body back from the Enchanted Forest, she could see the way Robin looked at Regina. And while it tore her in pieces, she knew that she had been dead to him for years. So, she moved into a room at Granny's. Not long after that, with Snow White's help, she got a job at the Rabbit Hole and an apartment on Main Street. She and Robin had what was called "shared custody" of Roland.

One night, 3 months later, Emma walked into the bar. She knocked a few beers back, lamenting over a bad date. After her shift, Marian joined her for some fries at Granny's. Marian let her bitch about Killian, and Emma listened to her struggles as she tried to find a place in Roland's life.

They met like that four more times before they'd end up in bed together. After a couple of one night stands, followed by Chinese takeout and beer, Marian had leaned on her palm.

_"What are we?"_

_"Is this you trying to court me?"_

_Marian giggled. "I think the term is girlfriends here."_

_"I'm good with that," Emma said, a piece of lettuce wrap in her teeth._

Girlfriends. Marian has a girlfriend.

Emma's not the first girl she's been with, that's for sure. She's known her bisexuality since her teen years. There had been a cute redhead in her village and they were also just friends at first. They'd take their horses riding in the fields, read poetry books and talk about their dreams to escape their small village.

And then one day, they kissed, and they couldn't stop kissing. Sarah pushed Marian against the hay and her hand started to go up her skirt. Marian liked it, much better than when Bobby had kissed her six months prior. Sarah knew what she was doing.

And then the barn door opened. Sarah pulled away from Marian, her face paler than usual. Daddy stood there, his eyebrows knitted together and his lip trembling so hard it might fall off his face. For once, his skin was red as a tomato, rather than tan like her own.

Marian never saw Sarah after that. Daddy and Mama forbade her from going to her farm. And after enough harsh looks, Marian stopped asking.

They hadn't approved of Robin either, but Marian knew that was different. Robin was a thief and they worried about him providing for her. Sarah had been all about what was between the skirt.

Marian wipes that thought out of her mind and pushes herself out of bed. She walks into the kitchen and starts to prepare breakfast. Converting to modern technology was a challenge at first, but now she finds most of it easy. The stove is leaps and bounds above the campfire she used to cook for dozens of men. She dips the French bread into the egg yolk mixture before plopping it onto the buttery pan.

"Something smells good," Emma calls out from the hall.

Marian laughs. "How'd I know food would wake you up?"

"An educated guess." Emma walks into the room, still in just her black shirt and boxer shorts. She reaches over the counter to give Marian a kiss, both women savoring it. "I like that."

"So do I," Marian mutters, turning back to the pan.

"Not just that, but this." She plops down onto the yellow kitchen chair. "It's quiet here in the mornings. No doubt at my parents', Neal is crying, my dad is singing while he cooks, Mom is organizing something…"

"And you love it," Marian interrupts. "Every minute of it."

Emma smirks. "Maybe. It is nice to finally have a family. But I like quiet too." She quickly follows it up with, "Though I'd love it when Roland was here too, I'm sure. He's awesome."

"I know what you meant. I love the kiddo too, but it's nice to have a break sometimes." She flips the bread in the pan. "I do think maybe we should tell Regina and Robin so you can meet him properly as my girlfriend, same with Henry. If you're comfortable with that."

Emma grins. "Of course I am." She hops up and walks to the fridge, opening it and peering inside before pulling out a carton of orange juice. "I actually think it'd be nice for you to meet my parents as my girlfriend too."

Marian pauses. "What?"

"I know they can be a lot, but they do just care. My mom has been bugging me to get out there since I dumped Hook. And I know they'll love you."

Marian gnaws on her lip. Meeting the parents. She's never done it. Especially not with a girl. And if Snow and David aren't cool with Emma being gay…she doesn't want a repeat of Sarah.

"Are you sure, Emma? I mean…"

Emma cocks an eyebrow. "You mean what?"

"Do you think that's a good way to tell them? Maybe you should talk to them first, tell them that you have a girlfriend."

Emma's nose crinkled. "Why?"

"Well, if it doesn't go well…" Marian's stomach soured. "It could be awkward."

"Why wouldn't it go well? It's not like I'm coming out to them."

Marian's stomach eases a bit and she shuts off the stove. She's not about to burn breakfast over this.

"I'm so confused. Do they already know you're gay?"

Emma nods. "Yeah, I told Mary Margaret when we were cursed because she kept making comments about finding a man," she laughs. "I told her one day I could just as well bring home a woman. She was cool with it and uncursed, Mom was too. She made sure to tell me. And then I told my dad a little after we got back from the past. He was totally supportive."

Marian's body grows lighter. "That's good. I'm glad. Then we can definitely have dinner with them."

"Okay," Emma regards her. "Something tells me you didn't have a good coming out experience."

Marian rubs her palms on the side of her pants. "I never really came out to them. They caught me kissing a girl when I was 14, 15, but it wasn't anything official. I knew I liked girls, but never met another I connected with after that."

Emma steps closer. "How'd they react, Marian?"

She sighs. "They forbid us from seeing each other. We weren't even dating, we were just best friends who made out. Once. But it scared them."

Emma growls. "Fucking assholes."

Marian shrugs. "After I married Robin, we didn't talk. They didn't approve of him. I sent word when Roland was born but never got anything back. I "died" shortly after, so who knows what happened."

She's got tears in her eyes and she doesn't know why. She stopped paying her parents any mind years ago. Roland is her family, as are the Merry Men. She still has Robin too, even if it's in a different way.

Still, this hurts.

"I mean," Marian hears her voice crack. "Fuck them, right?" She blinks, her eyes burning hot with tears she won't let fall.

"Yeah," Emma whispers. "Fuck them."

Emma takes her hand and holds it. She doesn't let go as Marian turns back to cooking. She laces her fingers through Marian's when the latter changes the subject to her grocery list. Their hands stay together through breakfast, only pulling apart when they know they need to get ready for the day.

A week later, when Marian goes to the Charming loft with Roland, she finds a noisy family. David's cooked shepherd pie ("No jokes, Emma", he says to his daughter with a wink). Snow gives them both a hug and pours her a glass of wine. She's gotten Roland's favorite juice. Emma's holding her little brother and Marian grins at how cute the sight is.

Snow and David ask her questions, but they're all to get to know her. They listen. Equally as important, they listen to Emma and laugh at her jokes, give her sarcastic eye rolls when she tells a bad joke and at times, even manage to parent her like when Snow sneaks some green beans on her plate after Emma says she hates vegetables.

Marian feels apart of a family again. It's loud and hectic, and a bit weird with the close age differences but she likes it. They don't judge. They're happy. They smile.

By the end of the night, David is playing with Roland and Neal. Snow is setting up a date to shoot arrows with Marian. And Emma's watching all of it with a smile.


End file.
